When to tell boss I'm retiring?

prowla

3 months is plenty of time for a notice period.

Some companies have a no bonus during notice clause.

lr1277

1) I was under the impression that redundancy was because the role was no longer required. So if your employer is going to find a replacement for you, then the role is still required and you won't get redundancy. Annual bonuses are a different matter.

2) In terms of appraisals, depends on how helpful you want to be. Just because you think you can coast for the next 6 months, does your boss have any requirements for the person in your role over the next year? They may only tell you their requirements at your appraisal. Or perhaps your boss wants you to do a piece fo work before you leave. Maybe give your boss a heads up before the appraisal so job requirements or handover issues can be discussed. That is if you want to be helpful. But as suggested above, if you don't need a reference......

Edited to add: And by helpful this may include being helpful to your colleagues. Are any of them going to perform you job tasks after you leave? If so wouldn't you want to hand over to the people in the trenches with you?

waveyjane

Thanks for all the good and interesting replies!

My appraisal is next week. My angst about telling my boss early about my intended retirement date really just boils down to the almost physical pain I feel during these sessions (the sheer brutal pointlessness of it all for both of us).

But I think I can endure that for one last time. Spilling the beans may change the dynamic for an extra three months, and given the slight chance of something unexpected happening in that time - I think I'll keep it under wraps until I need to reveal it.

And as somebody pointed out, I don't think HR will put my role up for re-hire until my resignation anyway. So more time doesn't really help my boss that much either.

Brenster

You need to do what is right for you, your boss would always do what is right for him / the business.  If i was you i would continue as if you were staying, and explain this when you finally give in your notice.

Albermarle

barnstar2077 said:

Personally, I wouldn't let them know too soon.  I would stick to the required notice and leave it at that.  Why show your hand until you have to?  You have nothing to gain, but they could change the way they treat you for the worse.

I think it is clear from some of your previous posts that you do not have a great relationship with your employer, boss etc. It happens of course.

In my case it was the opposite, and I was a personal friend of my Boss, also some colleagues, and the company had always looked after me. Also being in a sales job I had known some customers for decades, and spent a lot of time and energy building up relationships.
There was no way I could have just walked away giving minimum notice, especially as it was a bit of a solo role and a direct replacement had to be found for a smooth handover.
In the end everything went smoothly, apart from some delays and I departed into the sunset glad it had all worked out and everybody was happy.

barnstar2077

Albermarle said:

barnstar2077 said:

Personally, I wouldn't let them know too soon.  I would stick to the required notice and leave it at that.  Why show your hand until you have to?  You have nothing to gain, but they could change the way they treat you for the worse.

I think it is clear from some of your previous posts that you do not have a great relationship with your employer, boss etc. It happens of course.

In my case it was the opposite, and I was a personal friend of my Boss, also some colleagues, and the company had always looked after me. Also being in a sales job I had known some customers for decades, and spent a lot of time and energy building up relationships.
There was no way I could have just walked away giving minimum notice, especially as it was a bit of a solo role and a direct replacement had to be found for a smooth handover.
In the end everything went smoothly, apart from some delays and I departed into the sunset glad it had all worked out and everybody was happy.

It is definitely something that only the individual can decide.  As you say, it depends on a few factors.  If someone works for a large company that views them as a number on a spreadsheet and exploits it's workers, then it is probably in their best interest to keep quiet.

On the othet hand, if someone works for a smaller company gets on well with their boss and has never witnessed anyone being mistreated, then it makes more sense to give them plenty of time.  Although people still run the risk missing out on redundancy money if it should arrise in the interim.

Anonymous101

Barnstar's got it pretty much spot on. Lots depend on you and your employer. There's not a right or wrong answer to this, its all about the situation.

I've known people do very well out of early notification - gratitude, gardening leave, negotiated finish dates with staying on bonuses and reduced hours for a hand over period are just some of the positives that could come out of it.
On the other hand there are risks. Companies may make it difficult for the employee or withhold bonus payments etc.

All down to the situation and you're the best person to understand this. 

Beddie

I never felt valued by any of my employers, so certainly wouldn't tell them anything before I had to.

But it sounds like you are a valued member of the organisation, so telling them sooner would seem to be a good option to help them without hurting your position.

Albermarle

barnstar2077 said:

Albermarle said:

barnstar2077 said:

Personally, I wouldn't let them know too soon.  I would stick to the required notice and leave it at that.  Why show your hand until you have to?  You have nothing to gain, but they could change the way they treat you for the worse.

I think it is clear from some of your previous posts that you do not have a great relationship with your employer, boss etc. It happens of course.

In my case it was the opposite, and I was a personal friend of my Boss, also some colleagues, and the company had always looked after me. Also being in a sales job I had known some customers for decades, and spent a lot of time and energy building up relationships.
There was no way I could have just walked away giving minimum notice, especially as it was a bit of a solo role and a direct replacement had to be found for a smooth handover.
In the end everything went smoothly, apart from some delays and I departed into the sunset glad it had all worked out and everybody was happy.

It is definitely something that only the individual can decide.  As you say, it depends on a few factors.  If someone works for a large company that views them as a number on a spreadsheet and exploits it's workers, then it is probably in their best interest to keep quiet.

On the othet hand, if someone works for a smaller company gets on well with their boss and has never witnessed anyone being mistreated, then it makes more sense to give them plenty of time.  Although people still run the risk missing out on redundancy money if it should arrise in the interim.

It was quite a large company. Not mega but about a Billion Pound turnover.
A younger family member has recently joined a huge global company at their UK London HQ. They find the atmosphere much better and friendlier, than the previous smaller company based in a Yorkshire town.
You just can not tell.

ex-pat_scot

I've seen people try to do the right thing in this area, and for them to be hugely taken advantage of.

My wife let her head teacher know she was pregnant, very early on, to allow him as much time to re-timetable etc.
She then got taken off all nice stuff (classes, subjects, extra-curricular) and dumped upon for an additional term.

A colleague let our boss know of her plans to leave in the next few months. 
She then got given the "unsatisfactory" grading for our team, and no bonus or pay rise for the last 6 months or so of her employment, because the boss thought "what's she going to do? Leave?". (we had to grade a certain % of the team in each performance category, so she was the fall guy that year.)

I've one present colleague who recently made the mistake of airing his draft thoughts about retiring over the next year or so. He got the cr^p clients, no bonus or payrise. Again the same behaviour. Why reward unless it is to retain people?  It's a classic example of "no good deed goes unpunished".
Of course, you might enjoy a much more open and honest relationship with your management.
I am hopelessly naive and optimistic, but even I can see that it's not been the right course of action for those around me.